Automatically-closing wrench



July 29', 1924. 1,502,892 v F. wALz AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING WRENCH FiledJan. 3. 1923 4IIIIIINIINN Patented duly 29, lQ/sl@ ius.

AUTOMATICALLY-CLOSING WRENCH.

Application led. January 3, 1923. Seriall'o. 610,544.

T0 all .1U/bom t may concern Be it known that L Fnnnnrck Wang, a citizenof the United States7 residing at Burnside. in the county of Hartfordand State of Connecticuta have invented a new and useful improvement inAutomatically- Closing lrenches7 ot which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the type of quick closing wrenches. Thesewrenches have a spring arranged to torce the movable jaw toward thelixed jaw when a locking stem is released by pressure of the thumb on alocking plunger which normally engages the locking stem and holds themovable jaw tast7 whereby in order to apply the wrench to a nut or boltor other part to be held or turnedU it is only necessary to open thejaws, hold them adjacent to the element to be gripped and then pressinwardly the locking plunger and allow the springto close the jaws onthe part.

The object of the present invention is to provide a very simple, cheapand strong construction which is easily and conveniently manipulated andwhich has a line adjustment.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l shows the invention embodied in astructure having jaws of the monkey wrench type. Fig. 2 shows a top viewot the same. Fig. 3 shows a section on the plane indicated by the dottedline 3-3 on l. Fig. i shows the wrench head with ninety degree jaws andone hundred and twenty degree jaws. Fig. 5 shows the head with ninetydegree aws and pipe gripping jaws.

The handle l of the wrench is desirably made ot' metal but can be formedof other suitable material. The fixed jaw 2, which may have a ninetydegree tace or a one hundred and twenty degree tace or pipe teeth orcombination of these as illustrated in the views is connected with thehandle in the embodiment illustrated by a pair of rods 3 that passthrough perforations in the jaw and into sockets in the end of thehandle. These rods may be circular in cross section and may be cut fromwhat is known as drill rod. A pin 4 is driven through the iiXed jawbetween the rods. and a pin 5 is driven through the handle between therods for securing them in place. The only machining required for such anattachment of these parts is accomplished by mere drilling;

rlhe movable jaw 6 fits and slides upon the rods that join the lixed jawand the handie. A locking stem 7 is fastened to the movable jaw and itextends into a longitudinally extending bore 8 rin the handle. This stemis provided with 1ine teeth 9 which desirably are in the shape of screwthreads. Back of the locking stem in the bore in the handle is a springl0 arranged to thrust the stem, outward. The spring is held in by ascrew plug 1l threaded into the bore at the end of the handle after thespring has been placed in the bore. The locking stem passes through anopening 12 in a locking plunger 13 which is tree to slide in atransverse bore in the handle. The opening in the plunger is somewhatlarger than the diameter of the locking stem and on the inner wall hasteeth 14.- shaped to tit the teeth of the locking stem. A spring l5 isarranged in the transverse bore in the handle to normally push theplunger outward and cause the teeth on the wall of the opening throughthe plunger to engage the teeth on the locking stem. lVhen the plungeris pushed inward the teeth are disengaged releasing the stem andpermitting the spring to .thrust the stem outward and carry the movablejaw toward the fixed jaw against anything placed between the jaws thatit is desired to grip. wWhen pressure on the plunger is released itsteeth engage the teeth on the stem and lock the parts so that themc-vable jaw cannot be moved from its pesition` The teeth on the lockingstem are quite fine so that the adjustment of the movable jaw will beclose. The elements oi this structure are very simple to manufacture andassemble. It is easy tc release the locking stem and allow the spring toclose the movable jaw, yet when the locking plunger is engaged with thelocking stem the movable jaw is very strongly held This wrench can bemanipulated and applied to a nut, bolt heador other part to be held orturned` by one hand.

The invention claimed is l. A wrench having a handle with alongitudinnally extending bore and a circular socket extendingtransversely across said bore, a iixed j aw, means connecting the fixedjaw with the handle7 a movable jaw slidin on saidlconnecting means, acircular threa ed rod extending from the movable jaw in front of saidconnecting means into and substantially tting the bore in the handle,- a

spring arranged in said bore and adapted to thrust the rod outward, acylindrical plunger located in the transverse socket in the handle, saidplunger having a transverse opening through which the threaded rodext-ends, the inner Wall of said opening having teeth, and a spring inthe Socket thrusting the plunger outward and Causing the engagement ofthe teeth on the Wall oif the opening through the plunger with thethreaded rod.

' 2. A Wrench having a handle, a pair of round rods Withtheir endsextending into round openings in the handle, a jaw with round openingsfitted on the outer ,ends of said rods, a pin extending transversely ofthe handle between the rods and a pin eX- tendingV transversely of thejawv between the rode 'for locking the rods to the handle and the jan'to the rods, a movable jaw slidahlyY fitted on said rods between thehandle and fixed jan' a threaded rod extending Afrom the movable jaw infront o the Connecting rods into a longitudinal 1oore in the handleispring in the here in the handle and adaptn ed to normally thrust thethreaded rod outward, a plunger located in a socket that opens throughthe front edge of the handle said plunger having an openintgl throughwhich the threaded ro'd passes and haring teeth in one Wall ot saidopening. and a spring' normalbY thrusting the plunger radially of thethreaded rod and causing the engagement of the teeth.

FREDRICK WALZ.

